New at DS! Its best-selling large SUV is getting a facelift. He also takes the opportunity to change his name. Don’t call it DS 7 Crossback anymore, just DS 7. Modifications which are accompanied by the arrival of a plug-in hybrid engine, 4 wheel drive, 360 hp.
At DS, there is the DS 7 Crossback and the other models. Since its launch in 2018, the very first SUV of the young tricolor brand has left only crumbs for those close to it. It monopolizes more than 50% of the manufacturer’s sales in France, its largest market ahead of Spain and Italy. What is the buyer profile? Individuals only represent a drop in the ocean of fleet sales: 7 out of 10 customers are businesses, which mainly favor plug-in hybrid versions (54%). In 9 out of 10 cases, the drivers are men without children (75%). In order not to lose ground against premium competitors, recently modernized, DS offers a makeover to its SUV. Aesthetic alterations that come with a new trade name : no longer call it DS 7 Crossback, just DS 7!
In search of elegance…
The no. 1 purchase criterion for the DS 7 is style ahead of comfort and technology! The designers have modernized the face of the SUV so that it sticks with the new identity of the brand, inaugurated by the DS 4. In this spirit, the shield sees its unique light strip disappear in favor of several LED bars. But, unlike those of the compact, the “DS Light Veil” here adopt an innovative process inspired by the X E-Tense and Aero Sport Lounge concepts.
To give the effect that the light pierces the shield, the styling teams painted a piece of polycarbonate with the body color and then laser-engraved it. A technical tour de force developed more than a year before the initial deadline. By DS’s own admission, this part will be found on future vehicles in the range, in particular the D85 project in 2024, an electric crossover.
Other distinctive signs: the protective shoe has been redesigned, the grille and the DS Wings have been enlarged, while the chrome is rarer. Beyond erasing the “bling-bling” side, DS explains its choice with ecological arguments, since the manufacture of ferrous metals is particularly emitting CO2. The last visible touch is played at eye level.
The headlights of the DS 7 have been refined and adopt a technology called Pixel LED 3.0. unprecedented in the segment. Farewell to pivoting optics, a nod to the DS of the 1950s but preventing the thinning of the optics. The new lights, still made up of three modules, guarantee a more powerful, more homogeneous and longer-range luminous flux (up to 380 m in main beam) thanks to diodes located on three levels. They also offer better energy efficiency.
In summary, from phase 1, the DS 7 retains only the fenders and the bonnet. The most observant will also note that the latter is now adorned with a logo with “clouse de Paris” guillochage, one of the star motifs of the DS label since its inception. The manufacturer thus highlights the know-how of the French craftsmen who work alongside it. At the rear, the vehicle offers refined headlights with a more contrasting scale pattern. Unpublished, the tailgate features more incisive lines like that of the DS 4. Finally, we see that between the lights a gutter has been dug. It no longer receives the name of the model, but that of the brand.
New colors and new upholstery
Externally, DS has also worked on finishing the logos. Depending on the wishes of customers, badges can do without chrome for black. In addition, two new shades have been added to the catalog: Lacquered grey, already seen on the DS 4, and the new Saphir blue. The rims have been redesigned on the 19-inch versions. They can now reach 21 inches with the E-Tense 360 hp engine, the new 2022 catalog. Inside, almost nothing has changed. New Pearl gray leather upholstery is offered with the all-new Opéra finish. A name that once qualified an atmosphere in the catalog of the DS 7 Crossback. Finally, so that the environment is not totally modeled on the previous one, the teams from the “Colors and Materials” department have modified the leather patterns visible at the level of the door panels and on the far right of the dashboard.
For the rest, the owners will not be confused. The two digital panels of 12 inches each, for the counters and the multimedia system, are still there. GPS display is now possible in full screen. A real revolution made possible thanks to the arrival of the same software as on the DS 4. A more modern and more reactive software… but not as much as that developed by Renault and Google on the Mégane E-Tech and Austral. On this point, Stellantis can do better.
As for the center console, it retains the cobra-style automatic gearbox lever (EAT8). Replacing it with a push button, as is the case on the DS 4, would have required completely redesigning the central console, therefore providing for an additional financial effort. Unplayable ! As for driving aids, the catalog was already particularly extensive. We find in particular the night vision systems (DS Night Vision), active suspensions (DS Active Scan Suspension) and semi-autonomous driving (level 2).
An unchanged habitability
Finally, from a habitability point of view, it’s white cap and white cap because the DS 7 does not change its dimensions (4.59 x 1.91 x 1.63 m), and its wheelbase still points to 2 .74 m. The back seat is always welcoming for three passengers. The central square is not a punishment since there is no servitude tunnel. In addition, the trunk volume is unchanged. Whether it is a thermal or rechargeable hybrid version, the DS 7 similarly offers 555 to 1,752 liters of capacity.
Stopping gasoline and launching a more powerful PHEV
The DS 7 Crossback range had two engines plug-in hybrids (PHEV) 225 hp (4 x 2) and 300 hp (4 x 4). The DS 7 now offers a third! To appeal to heavy riders looking for a model with a more dynamic look and performance, the 360 hp E-Tense 4 x 4 version (which the DS 9 sedan already has) has been added.
The SUV then benefits from wider tracks (+ 24 mm at the front and + 10 mm at the rear), four-piston 380 mm front brake calipers (330 mm on the other versions), a suspension firmer and controlled, as well as a lowered height (– 15 mm). It is also fitted with low-rise tires mounted on new 21-inch rims. Thanks to the arrival of a larger capacity battery (14.2 kWh), still positioned under the rear seat, all PHEV models earn up to 10 km of autonomy. The new DS 7 360 would therefore be able to travel around 65 km in 100% electric mode. Another specificity reserved for this model developed by DS Performance: the rear engine can drive the wheels up to 190 km/h, or 55 km/h more than the 300 hp version. The SUV engine catalog also includes a 130 hp diesel. On the other hand, for lack of customers, the PureTech petrol unit of 180 hp disappears definitively. As for the new 1.2 PureTech mild hybrid of 130 hp associated with the e-DCT, it is not on the program.
TO READ. Purchase guide. Which plug-in hybrid SUV to choose in 2022?
Definitely higher prices
The manufacturer has not yet revealed the details of the equipment of the DS 7 and even less the prices. He just conceded having reviewed the range of finishes by adding the Opera level at the top of the range. The Bastille livery retains its status as a “basic” version and, if the two special series Lignes Noires and Louvre are discontinued, they should definitely be replaced. Due to the semiconductor crisis and other supply shortages, the entry ticket for the SUV had recently been revised upwards. It was necessary to count 40 500 € minimum. The few improvements made today should once again raise the score. According to our information, the starting bet will not exceed €45,000. About the new DS 7 E-Tense 4 x 4 360 version, in its richly equipped La Première launch finish, its price is estimated at 77 000 €. To be confirmed with the opening of the order book this summer. The first DS 7s, produced in Mulhouse, will reach dealerships in September. Notice to visitors to the Paris Motor Show: the SUV will be one of the new exhibits from October 17.
Conclusion: A subtle metamorphosis
The DS 7 is not resting on its laurels. To maintain its best-selling status and not be left behind by modernized competition over the past two years*, it has made some aesthetic changes. The transformation is subtle. But this new face, less flashy, certainly gives it a more elegant side. While DS has added a few new features, such as polycarbonate LED daytime running lights or the 360 hp rechargeable hybrid engine, the costs were voluntarily controlled. Moreover, the passenger compartment has not undergone any major transformation. The restyling of the SUV must above all allow the model to harmonize its look with that of the DS 4 and to survive until the arrival of its successor (100% electric and produced in Italy) in 2025.
TO READ. DS news. The secret calendar until 2026
* Due to its dimensions, the DS 7 straddles two categories. Its competitors are the BMW X1/X3, Audi Q3/Q5, Mercedes GLA/GLC, Volvo XC40/XC60…
